Lux Noctis
by Arebus
Summary: A second chance. Isn't that what people want? Well, Jaune got it. And he'll make the most of it, no matter what. Probably a little romance, but it'll be an interesting type for sure, so I'll just leave it blank for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all, just moving this over to the new story, Lux Noctis. Sorry to those who already came here and read it hoping for a new chapter. At this point, I am done taking suggestions, as I just put out the first real chapter. I hope you all enjoy.**

 _A Fresh Start, A New Curse._

He couldn't believe it. Everything they had done. Every fight, every broken bone, every drop of blood, every shed tear. All the lives they had lost and had taken.

For nothing.

Jaune coughed as he forced his body to move. To do anything. He couldn't tell what was broken or what was even still attached. He couldn't see out of his left eye, though whether that was the blood or he had gone blind he didn't know. He didn't much care either.

They had lost Weiss somewhere along the way. She tried to save team SSSN. The only one who made it out was Sun, though he cursed himself for it every day.

Qrow had died saving them all. Salem had found them before they were ready, but Qrow saw it coming. He convinced Ironwood to get the rest of them out, while Qrow stayed behind. Almost 700 confirmed kills before they lost sight of Qrow. With no one to worry about, he had let his semblance wreak havoc.

Everyone that was left had charged this place. This wretched pit, where darkness swirled, swallowing any light that was foolish enough to enter.

They had to kill Salem. They had to move now, or they wouldn't make it.

Jaune looked around the best he could. Everyone was down. He couldn't hardly move, and his aura had long since broken. Ruby stood in front of the Witch, battered but still standing.

 _She won't win. The relics didn't work. Her eyes aren't strong enough. What can we do? She might as well be one of the Brothers._

Jaune clenched his fist as he saw Salem turn her smug grin on to Ruby.

 _ **You cannot rest now.**_

Jaune's eyes shot open. The voice didn't sound right. It wasn't the terrifying sound of Salem, but it wasn't the gentle voice of the Relics.

 _ **I am neither, Jaune Arc. Enough delay. You have one chance. Use this. End her.**_

Jaune felt a weight settle in his shield hand. He looked to see something that looked to be an explosive, though not one he recognized.

 _ **I will not let you fall here, Jaune Arc. But I am not powerful enough to save this world. You must do so.**_

Jaune didn't question it. He had a chance, and he was not going to waste it.

He dragged himself upright, the mangled remains of Crocea's shield still attached to his equally mangled arm. He hid the device in his arm, raising his ancestor's blade once more.

"Ruby," His voice could barely penetrate the air, "Move. Get them out."

" _You would face me, child? Do you wish for death so badly?_ " Salem's horrid eyes locked onto Jaune's own.

He couldn't see Ruby, but he heard her move towards the others. He had made Ruby swear before ever coming here. If Jaune were to tell her to run with the others, she would do it. It had taken him weeks, but she finally accepted. War was nothing more than cold calculus. Jaune was more expendable than the others, simple as that.

" _Come Child, face your fate. And know that I will hunt the others down soon enough."_ Salem opened her arms, almost as if offering a hug.

 _Well, waste not want not._ Jaune charged forward, as fast as his battered body could carry him. He brought Crocea Mors down in an obvious arc, Salem barely moving to block the blade.

As his sword met her arm, he released his grip, surging forward and wrapping his body around hers. He fumbled for the control of the device, his fingers finally finding the small button.

" _What do you think you are doing? Holding me down while that girl tries to harm me?"_ Salem began laughing as she raised her arm to decapitate Jaune.

A shrill tone rang out.

Jaune smiled.

* * *

Jaune slowly opened his eyes, though the scenery he greeted wasn't much better than what he left.

He appeared to be in front of a castle. The walls were decayed and damaged, as if it had been abandoned long ago. The air was stale, particles of dust stationary in the wind.

"Well, this is surreal." Even his voice seemed flat and dull.

The rusted doors in front of him shook as they opened, seemingly of their own accord. Jaune mentally shrugged as he moved toward the opening.

A long hall, tapestries hanging from the ceiling, tables with room for entire legions, all destroyed and decaying.

As Jaune continued, he made his way to what seemed to be the throne room of the castle. He climbed the steps until he saw the throne.

And the man perched atop it, wearing a rusted crown.

" **You took your time.** " The man's grated, sounding as if it had not been used for centuries.

"I just died. I think I can be forgiven for taken a moment to get my bearings." Jaune's head was spinning. Was this Oum? One of the Brothers? Something different?

" **You want to know who I am, yes?** " The man smiled when Jaune nodded, standing from his throne and descending to stand even with Jaune. The man stood at least seven foot, a full head taller than Jaune.

" **I have no name. None that would mean anything to you. I suppose you could call me a Watcher. One of many. Jaune, what do you know of the Multiverse Theory?** " The man had begun pacing around Jaune, his steps slow. The world seemed to shake with every footfall.

"It's just a theory. An idea that says that for every decision, a new world is created. One where you said yes, and one where you said no."

" **A good a summary as any. These worlds exist Jaune. Some are very similar to yours. Some, less so. Those who are like me can look into these worlds and we document what we see. We are not gods, Jaune. We cannot create. We watch over the creations others have left to us. The world you know was created by one such being, one I respect a great deal.** "

The Watcher stopped his movements, settling beside Jaune and resting a heavy hand on his shoulder.

" **The reason I tell you this, is because all of the worlds I watch have a common factor. Do you know what this factor is?** "

Jaune shook his head, though he feared the answer.

" **They are dying, Jaune. They face great calamity. I cannot save them, just as I could not save yours.** " The Watcher took a shuttering breath, one that seemed to reverberate through the castle.

" **But, I did manage to help you save yours. Jaune, I'm sorry. I changed your fate. You were not to fall in that battle. Nor was Salem to be killed. I cannot tell you what was originally intended, that thread has been destroyed. But we are presented with a unique opportunity. Jaune, the Multiverse doesn't know what to do with you. By all accounts, you should be dead. And yet, you should never have been in that position. As such, I can put you wherever I see fit, and no consequences shall befall you.** "

The man sighed again, moving to stand directly before Jaune, both hands on his shoulders.

" **I will not lie. I am asking you to suffer. I am asking you to fight, and I do not know for how long. I can offer you a few boons, but I cannot directly intervene again.** " The man collapsed to his knees, holding tight to Jaune's arms.

" **I beg of you. Save them. I cannot, but I know you can. Please Jaune, save Remnant. Save your friends. However many times they need you to.** " The Watcher remained kneeling, his head lowered.

 _Aw, hell. He just had to say it like that, didn't he?_

"They need me? Are you sure?"

" **Without question.** "

"What would you have me do?"

The Watcher stood, another broken smile etching its way onto his face. He clapped once, his rusted armor rattling. The world around them shook, changing to a hallway of doors.

" **These are but a few of the worlds that need you. Merely pick one, and you will be put into the world. I shall grant three gifts Jaune. The first is simple, I will make sure that you will always have Crocea Mors. No matter the world, he shall be by your side. He shall never dull, nor shall he break."**

" **For the second, I offer you a choice. You can never remember the conversations had here. It would not do for you to have knowledge of us. But I can allow you to remember every world you visit. I will watch over your mind, keep the memories sorted and prevent them from overwhelming you. Or I can have you forget each time you move to a new world."**

" **For the third, I will allow you a companion. You may choose one person to stay with you. They will never know of us, your mission, or your fate. But no matter the circumstance, they will find their way into your path. They will be your trusted ally.** "

Jaune nodded, swallowing as he approached one of the doors.

"Hey, Watcher?"

" **Yes?"**

"Thanks. For giving me a shot." Jaune shouldered the door open, bravely moving to his new life.

The Watcher turned to the shattered and twisted remains of the world. Wailing and screams of terror echoed in his mind.

" **Do not thank me, Jaune Arc. I have condemned yet another good man. I wish you luck."**

* * *

 **Okay, there we go.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone, so I'm starting to work on this. I want to go ahead and get the first real chapter out so I can get a feel how much you guys like this. After that, I'm not sure. I may take some time to write up a bunch of chapters so that I'm not scrambling to write and then publish the same day. Or I may do that anyway. Either way, I'd like to know what you guys think. Also, as far as the votes: Jaune will remember (that was unanimous), and his companion… Well, actually, there was a tie. Blake and Yang were tied at 6 votes each. So, I suppose I could choose one of them. Or I could just do both. I'll probably shift between who Jaune starts with every "realm," but we'll start with Blake here.**

 _Initium Novum_

Being at a loss for words was not a new sensation for Jaune. But this was a whole new level.

Jaune remembered most of what had happened. All the events of his past life. Beacon, JNPR, RWBY…

Dying.

He didn't remember what happened after, but he understood the general idea of what was happening. There were different worlds, all connected in some way, and they all faced the same dangers. At least, in a sense. Either way, he had been given the chance to help them.

"Jaune? You okay?" The little pink cat tail waved in front of his face, forcing his attention back to his youngest sisters face. Rose was climbing into his lap and poking him, looking a little peeved at his lack of reaction.

 _Well, somethings never change I guess. She's still the same Rose, just a Faunus. And a little younger, but then I guess I am too. Huh, ten years. Would've thought I would start at the beginning. Hope I didn't miss anything_.

"Yeah, I'm fine Rosie. Go ahead and get ready, I'll meet you by the door." Jaune ruffled her light pink hair and smiled when she bounded away, an almost unnatural grace in her movements.

He went into his bathroom and looked in the mirror, the blond ears on his head twitching. He bared his teeth to see his slightly elongated canines, and he could already smell the breakfast his mother was making.

 _Steak and eggs. Steaks are medium rare right now, I've got about a minute before they're ready. Some bell peppers, red onions, salt, pepper, and some Cajun seasoning. Smells like biscuit dough too._

Jaune chuckled under his breath. His newfound senses were certainly helpful, though he had already found one drawback he never knew about the Faunus.

Blake certainly had behaviors that could be described as "catty," but this was strange. Jaune couldn't help it, but every time he saw an open field, dense woods, or if something twitched like they were going to run, he desperately wanted to give chase.

His blood boiled, he could smell the fresh air outside, feel creatures moving, hear their heartbeats, and he wanted to hunt. And just like that it was gone. He was normal again.

Jaune finished getting ready, tightening his leather tunic around himself. He had awoken here two weeks ago, and almost immediately went to his father. If this world was anything like his original, he needed to start training. Now. Thankfully, Jaune already knew a lot about his weapon.

Crocea Mors.

While he admittedly missed the extra functions he had added, Jaune was ecstatic to see his old friend.

"Jaune, you ready?" Ignatius Arc's voice was easily recognizable, his large frame standing resolute in the field outside their home. His father towered over Jaune's ten year old body, the man standing at six foot three inches. Despite the Arc's affinity for plate armor and weapons of the Knights of old, Menageries brutal sun required lighter equipment.

Ignatius' armor was merely a larger version of Jaune's; A thick leather tunic, light tan shirt, brown cargo pants, and leather bracers. Ignatius' personal weapon, Enkanma, laid against the porch. The red crossguard of the massive weapon gleamed in the sunlight. Jaune was glad to see they wouldn't be sparring with their weapons, as Enkanma had a habit of igniting anything it could.

"Alright buddy, we're gonna work on evasion techniques." Ignatius snickered at Jaune's bewildered look.

"Hey, I'm very happy you want to use Crocea. But not everyone forfeits range, and you'll have to be able to adapt. Ready up, and leave your shield over here. I know you can tank hits all day, but I want you to focus on outsmarting me." Ignatius reached behind him, producing a simple carbine rifle. Jaune knew that the light caliber wouldn't cause permanent damage, but it'd still hurt.

"Well if that's the exercise, I'll be done before breakfast." Jaune smirked as Rose laughed behind him. Ignatius smiled at his son's jab, replying with a single round to Jaune's left foot.

Jaune yelped, Ignatius chuckled, and Rose started rolling on the floor.

"You shot me!"

"Ready? Go!"

* * *

Jaune rolled his stiff shoulders as he walked through Kuo Kuana's crowded streets. Most people greeted him with small smiles and waves, a few calling out to him. Despite Jaune and his sisters being some of the only Faunus Arcs, his family was known for being kind to Faunus. They hated what the White Fang were doing, but they hated the Schnees just as much. The Arcs had always been against both parties, becoming Hunters since they viewed the Grimm as the bigger threat.

Jaune knocked gently on the doorway of the hut, peering inside cautiously.

"Hello? Ares, you here?" Jaune knew he was asking for trouble, but Violet needed new books and this was the best place in Menagerie.

Jaune was about to back out of the doorway when a fist flew towards him. He dodged it by a hairsbreadth, reaching out and grabbing the offending limb, pulling his attacker towards him.

Ares wild grin made its way into Jaune's vision as the two boys stumbled into the street. No one else really minded them too much, very use to the occurrence, some even stopping to watch.

The two began circling, Jaune keeping all his senses on his opponent. True to his name, the idea of "planning" didn't mean much to Ares. His movements were sporadic and chaotic, but they were powerful and damaging if you weren't careful.

Ares' grey eyes flashed with joyful rage as he got into a loose stance, glad to be able to fight someone.

"Man, Jaune. You've gotten quicker. I missed our talks, you've been out for a while." Ares switched the direction of their circle, putting his left side out front.

"Yeah, I don't remember us talking very much." Jaune matched his old friend's movements, covering a smirk as he saw a figure behind Ares. "I mostly remember me beating you into the ground, then chatting with your sister."

Ares burst out laughing, letting his stance drop. He knew Jaune wouldn't attack at such a blatant opening, and even if he did, Ares would be fine.

"I think I knocked something loose last time. You got some serious revisionist history going on there pal. You only talked with my sister because she had to patch you up. Why else would you talk-"

Ares… questionable statement about his sister was interrupted by said sister. Specifically, by her suplexing him back into their hut.

"Hey Athena. How's it going?" Jaune reached a hand down to the young girl, her aqua eyes squinting at him.

"I'm fine, though I am curious why you dragged me into this." Athena poked Jaune in the shoulder, her pale red hair flowing to her waist.

"Eh, you were already behind him. I figured you'd take the excuse to-" Jaune ducked as Ares launched himself out of the hut. "Knock some sense into him."

"I'm right here you know! Also I call bull, that was a cheap move."

"It's called strategy, dear brother."

"Boring."

Athena shook her head as she handed a bag to Jaune.

"It's Monday, so Violet's probably done with her books, right? Here's the next batch. We just got some from a ship that docked a few days ago. Said they were from Mistral, so maybe there's some good stuff in there."

Jaune smiled and hugged her, dragging Ares in via headlock. Jaune's world may have been turned upside down, but he couldn't complain too much. He had his family and good friends.

"Mom said you guys were coming over for dinner. You know her, that isn't really a request. I'll meet you guys there later, I've got a few more errands to run." Jaune waved as he moved towards the center of town.

Two weeks was enough time that Jaune knew how to move around Menagerie, though it felt easier than he would've thought. _Residual memory from before I woke up?_ He shrugged as he kept walking.

Jaune paused as he passed by the main street, looking to the Chieftain's home. He remembered his dad saying something about going there soon, that Ignatius had someone he wanted Jaune to meet.

 _Wait, I'm in Menagerie. If my math is right, it's still about six or seven years until Initiation. Blake had told us she left the White Fang right before. But she never told us when she left her home… which is the same home I'm looking at. How did I not think of this sooner!_

Jaune grinned and almost sprinted to the doors, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and throwing himself to the side.

 _Wait! How would I even start this conversation? 'Hi, my names Jaune! I'm actually almost twenty, my consciousness is from a different world, I was friends with you and your team of Huntresses, and we all fought against the queen of the Grimm until I died.' Yeah, that'd go well._

"I need to think this through. Time to head back anyway." Jaune sighed as he stood, freezing when he heard a cry. His ears swiveled, searching for the sound. It wasn't a cry of pain or sorrow, it was like someone was fighting or training.

There it was again, but it was quiet. Yet it sounded close.

Jaune couldn't help it, the need to hunt was back. He prowled through the shrubbery around the Chieftain's home, following his ears and nose.

He could smell his target now. _Female, young, sweaty, tired… smells like nightshade?_

Jaune cautiously peered through the bushes, his entire body rumbling with energy. He kept himself still and quiet, every muscle tense.

 _Found you._

Blake. A young Blake, but definitely her. She already had Gambol Shroud, and she was decimating the wooden targets around her. She came to a halt after decapitating the last target, smoothly reloading and sheathing her weapon. She was wearing light sweats, most of which was darkened from her exertions. Jaune watched as her small ears twitched, and she cocked her head slightly.

He knew he had positioned himself downwind, but he couldn't stop her from hearing his breathing or heartbeat. Which seemed to be beating very hard.

 _Let's see if we can't get ahead of this. Oh Monty, please don't kill me Blake._

Jaune gently eased himself from the bushes, hands already raised when Blake spun, her weapon leveled center mass.

"Who are you?"

Jaune winced. She did not sound happy. Like, at all.

"I'm Jaune." She didn't seem satisfied.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you, I just heard you training and I wanted to see." Jaune prayed she would take the bait and not ask any more about why he was here.

"Why? It's just training."

"Well, I'm training too, but I wanted to see how you did it. Your fighting style is crazy different from mine. I'm sorry." Jaune hung his head, trying to make himself seem smaller.

"It's fine. You said your name is Jaune, right?" He nodded. "As in, Jaune Arc, Ignatius' son?"

Jaune looked back up and quirked an eyebrow. He nodded again, trying to piece together Blake's flat look.

"Okay then. You wanted to find out about my fighting, so it's only fair that you let me do the same." Blake gestured to the rack of training weapons behind her. Jaune was hesitant to say the least. Back in Beacon, Blake could easily wipe the floor with him, not even needing her semblance.

But this Blake was young, and didn't have Jaune's level of experience.

Jaune nodded once more and moved to the weapon rack, picking up a sword about the same as Crocea. Its edge was dulled, and it was a little lighter than he was used to. But there was a bigger problem.

"No shield?"

Blake walked up next to him and raised a slender eyebrow.

"No. None of us fight in a way that would use shields. Is that going to stop you?"

Jaune knew that tone. She was challenging him. Any good Huntsmen should be able to adapt.

"No, I'll be fine." Jaune glanced over the weapons, wondering whether or not he should try a second weapon. Jaune settled on a decent sized knife, its blade a little broader than a dagger.

"Ready?" Blake had already settled into her ready stance, her eyes fixed on Jaune.

Jaune put a few paces between them and settled into his own stance, holding just the longsword at the ready. He nodded to Blake and they began to move.

Jaune rushed forward, knowing Blake would be expecting such an attack. As she jumped back, Jaune cut hard and threw himself to the side, startling Blake as her retaliation hit nothing but air.

Blake moved herself back, watching Jaune with a cautious eye as he got himself back into position.

This time, Blake engaged. She threw her kusarigama in a wide arc, pulling on the ribbon to force the arc closed, causing Jaune to slid on his knee to avoid being strangled. As his momentum carried him forward, Blake readied for a punishing strike with her cleaver.

By a miracle of balance, reaction time, and luck, Jaune managed to pull his sword up and deflect her strike…

Unfortunately disarming himself in the process.

Blake felt a small grin etch itself into place as she pulled on her ribbon again, sending the blade of her weapon hurtling towards Jaune.

The grin fell completely as she watched her weapon bounce away, the ribbon torn from her grasp. Jaune had pivoted as he stood, hammering an open handed strike to the flat of her blade, sending it to rest by his own.

"Nicely done." Blake's brow twitched, but she couldn't deny he deserved the compliment. The timing alone proved he knew what he was doing.

 _That should not have worked._

Jaune was about to reply, but he froze when Blake smirked.

"But now you have no weapon." She wiggled her cleaver in emphasis, showing herself to still be armed. Blake launched herself forward, intending to end the duel as quick as it started.

Jaune returned her smirk as he locked his knife against her cleaver. The look on her face showed that she had forgotten he grabbed it, Jaune having hidden the blade in his left bracer.

Blake pushed off him, and did something Jaune was not expecting.

She smiled. A genuine smile.

Jaune smiled straight back, happy to be back with a friend.

* * *

Jaune sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed. He knew it might happen, but he had prayed that he could help stop it. Five years of being close to Blake, and Jaune realized how much he had missed her. How much he missed all of them.

A coward. That's what she had said to him. That he feared the Humans, so he wouldn't help his brothers and sisters.

That was three days ago. Jaune hadn't left his room, he hadn't eaten, barely drank. Every time he slept, he saw her accusing him. He saw Adam gloating over him. He saw…

He saw Cinder. He saw Salem. Yang's arm, Ruby's eyes, Qrow's last stand, all the terror of his last life.

"Jaune?" Noir poked her head through his door. Her feather like hair shook as she looked around, her sharp and bright eyes cutting through the dark.

She felt her heart shatter as she looked at her little brother. He was perched on the side of his bed, in nothing but his drawstring pants, staring out the window. His blond ears were drawn back, lips twitching into a snarl, his entire body tensed.

Noir walked over and sat next to him, wrapping him in her arms. She sang softly into his ear, holding him tight.

Jaune took another deep breath, reveling in his sisters soft feathers and gentle song. He prayed to any god that would listen that Blake would at least make it to Beacon.

Noir's song stopped, but she continued to hold her brother, gently scratching his ears.

"Jaune. Mom and Dad are worried about us. They're going to take all of us to Mistral. They're a little more accepting than most, and they remember what our family has done." She paused, unsure of delivering that final piece of news. "Dad said he has a friend in Vale. Well, on Patch. He thought you might want to go train there, since you want to go to Beacon."

Jaune's ears instinctively perked up. Noir smiled, assuming he was happy to have a goal again.

 _Patch. Ruby and Yang! There's no way… Is the friend Qrow? Nah, can't be. Taiyang, maybe?_

But soon, another thought entered his head.

"I'd love to, but… what about you guys? I can't just leave." Jaune shifted enough to look his sister in the eyes. Noir was only two years older, but Jaune felt closest to her than anyone else. Well, except his twin, Merron.

Noir's heart swelled when Jaune looked at her. No matter what happened, Jaune always thought of his sisters. She smiled again and booped his nose.

"We'll be fine. You'll just have to visit when you can. Show off your team, your cool Beacon skills. Just promise you won't change too much, okay?"

Jaune felt a squeeze around his heart. _Little late for that promise, sister._

Jaune wrapped her into a tight hug, memorizing everything he could about her.

"I promise, Noir."

* * *

 **Okay guys, here's the first chapter. So, to clear up, Jaune is a Wolf Faunus. His father is Human and his Mother is Faunus, haven't decided what type. I'm sure you could argue that they should all be similar Faunus, but I like the idea of a "Menagerie" inside the Arc household. So like I said, Jaune will have both Yang and Blake as companions, it'll just trade on and off. Few more favors to ask of y'all: First, obviously I'd like to know what you think. Second, Throw me some suggestions for worlds once I finish this one. Third, should I mess with the teams or keep the canon teams? And Fourth, would you guys prefer chapters longer or shorter than this? Alright, that about wraps things up.**

 **Goodnight,**

 **Arebus.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, new chapter, here we go. Now, I'm going to try and update every Friday, but, ya know, don't hold me to that.**

* * *

 _Voici Le Soleil_

Jaune breathed deeply as he stepped off the airship, the fresh air soothing his nerves and his unsettled stomach. The greens and blues of Patch varied so much from the earthen tones of Menagerie. His stomach rumbled again, less from the trip and more from the nerves of meeting Ruby and Yang again.

 _Well, at least I can try for a better first impression. Then again, last time I met an old friend, it didn't end great._

Jaune's heart ached as a memory flashed through his mind.

 _Blake, curled up on a futon next to him, Kali's green tea scenting the room, a warm fire blazing in front of them. Blake's ears twitched softly as she read, an almost imperceptible purr coming from her chest. Jaune rumbled quietly, his eyes scanning over his own novel. Well, trying to. Despite Blake's love for reading, she seemed more mischievous in this realm, or perhaps Jaune had never gotten to know her well enough before. Every little while, Blake would shift, causing her to melt a little bit further into Jaune's side. Whether she was actually getting comfortable or was messing with him, Jaune couldn't tell._

Jaune blinked away the tears that had formed, shaking himself when he heard someone call his name. He hadn't talked to the man much, but Taiyang looked exactly the same as Jaune remembered.

The man stood a little taller than Jaune, probably about as tall as Jaune would be if everything stayed the same. His hair was less of a blond and more of a gold, his eyes more electric than sapphire. His clothing was the same from Ruby's old photo of team STRQ.

A thought shattered Jaune's focus.

 _Team STRQ. Events from my world killed Summer and drove Raven away. What… What if they're still here? What if they may die, but I could save them? I… need to be careful. I could really mess this up, better to just roll with the punches._

Jaune made his way over to Taiyang, shaking the man's proffered hand.

"Good to meet you, Jaune. It's been awhile since I've seen your Dad, I'm sorry you guys had to move." Taiyang ushered them towards a dirt road, one Jaune recalled would lead to their cabin.

"Well, we figured it might happen eventually. The Fang hate inaction almost as much as they hate racism. Then again, I'd say they're a little hypocritical." Jaune tried to keep the hate out of his voice. From what he had learned, most of the history of this world was identical to his own, including the White Fang's change to aggression. But Jaune couldn't afford to let his hatred of their past actions, this world or otherwise, effect his judgements.

"Yeah, maybe so." Taiyang shook his head, dispelling the dreary cloud their conversation had brought. "Anyways, your Dad sent your stuff ahead of you. It just got in yesterday, and it's all up in your room. We didn't open anything, so just let me know if you need anything replaced."

Jaune felt equal parts apprehension and excitement when he saw the wooden cabin appear behind the trees. He rolled his shoulders and plastered an easy smile on his face, trying not to show his worry at meeting his old comrades.

"I'm sure everything's fine. Thanks, Mr. Xiao-Long, for everything." Jaune knew he was stalling by stopping to talk with Taiyang, but he couldn't help it.

"It's no problem Jaune. And please, it's just Taiyang or Tai." The older Hunter smiled and clapped Jaune on the back before moving towards the cabin's door.

"Hey girls, I'm back! Come say 'Hi' to our guest." Taiyang had barely finished his sentence before Ruby had made it downstairs. She looked excited to see her Dad, though it stung a little when she looked nervously at Jaune.

 _Remember, you aren't friends yet. You haven't been assigned teams and you haven't walked half of Anima with her yet. She was nervous before Initiation too. Hmm, weapons? Yeah let's start with that._

"Um… hi. I'm, uh, I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you!" Ruby stuttered out her greeting and offered a tiny hand for Jaune to shake. He couldn't help but grin at her countenance, definitively the same as he remembered. He reached forward and gently clasped her hand.

"Good to meet you too, Ruby. I'm Jaune Arc. I guess we'll be hanging out for a little while. I'll try not to bore you with weapon talk, but no promises." Just as he hoped, Ruby's silver eyes widened the moment he mentioned weapons, and Jaune could've sworn he heard Taiyang chuckle behind him.

"Oh! Do you like learning about weapons too? I've always loved learning about them, how they work, what they're made of, different fighting styles, I can't wait to get to Signal and forge my ow-" Ruby clasped her hands over her mouth, sending a nervous glance to Jaune, who merely laughed at her enthusiasm.

"You sound just like my little sister, Rose. She's an absolute ball of energy. To answer your question, I like learning about weapons quite a bit, though I didn't have much of a chance in Menagerie. Don't suppose you would be able to give me a few lessons while I'm here?" Jaune smiled again as Ruby nodded her head enthusiastically, promising she would teach Jaune the in's and out's of every weapon she knew.

 _Maybe I was a bit too zealous. Ah well, it's worth it._

"Hey Rubes, where's Yang at?" Taiyang glanced around, having noticed his eldest daughter had not responded to his call.

"I think she's out back, working out. Come on, I'll introduce you Jaune!" Ruby disappeared in a flash of petals.

"Sorry about that, her semblance can take some getting used to." Taiyang sheepishly as Jaune flicked a petal off his wolf ear.

"Don't worry about it. My older sister, Verte, has a semblance that lets her feel everyone else's emotional state. Most of my sisters have their aura unlocked, so I'm pretty used to strange semblances." Jaune glanced towards the kitchen area behind Taiyang, remembering the stories Yang and Ruby had told of their father's cooking ability.

"Oh, Taiyang, would mind if I used your kitchen? I'd like to cook you all dinner tonight, as a thank you for letting me be here."

"Oh, please, Dad!"

Evidently, Jaune's superior hearing did not help him when the target could break the sound barrier in her boots, allowing Ruby a fantastic second impression of Jaune jumping around and barely suppressing a scream.

"You don't have to, but we'd be happy to accept. You guys get comfortable, I'll go pick up some groceries for dinner tonight." Taiyang left soon after Jaune gave him a short shopping list.

Jaune slowly followed Ruby out to their backyard. Out of everyone, Jaune dreaded seeing two of his old friends the most. The first and foremost was Pyrrha, the young knight having no idea how he would reconcile the previous death of his partner.

The second, was Yang. One of the biggest scars from the Fall was on Yang, and it wasn't just her arm. The Yang he had left was so damaged, pained over the truth she had finally learned from her birth-mother, and only just beginning to heal from her partners actions.

Jaune shook himself and tried to calm his rampant thoughts. He would be with Yang and Ruby for at least two years, until he went to Beacon, and hopefully the _full_ four years their two teams would spend at the academy.

All that being said, and even with the fact that Jaune was technically almost twenty-five at this point, he was reduced to a stuttering mess when presented with the sweating, panting form of Yang Xiao-Long as she bent over backwards in a deep stretch. Which had the side effect of straining her training shirt.

"Yang! We have company!" Ruby called innocently, saving Jaune from having to stammer out a greeting.

Yang stood from her stretches and walked over to Jaune, glancing up and down his form as she did so. She walked until she stood almost nose to nose with him, a smirk on her face as she stared into his eyes.

"Aww, who's a cute little puppy." Ruby looked horrified at Yang's comment, and Jaune was worried if this Yang was that drastically different from his own, until he noted the look in her eye.

 _She wants to see if I'm easily provoked. Ruby was obviously welcoming, and Taiyang is working off the recommendation of my father. Yang wants to know about who she's letting into her home. Good._

Jaune smiled back at her, letting a deep growl reverberate in his chest, causing Yang and Ruby to stumble back a few steps.

"I think you'll find 'Wolf' is more accurate, Miss Xiao-Long." Jaune smirked at Yang's befuddled look, glad when she replied with a wry smile.

"Huh, alright. So you're pretty relaxed with the whole Faunus thing. Good start, but I'm not letting you off that easy. What is it you're bringing to this house, hm?" Yang had moved back into Jaune's personal space, hooking a finger under his collar to emphasize her question. Jaune gave her a small, but genuine smile.

 _Got her._

"I asked your Dad to go pick up some groceries so I can make you all a thank you dinner, you can never go wrong with having another able body, I plan on going to Beacon just like you, and besides…" Jaune pushed himself forward, forcing Yang onto her back foot. "I'm a Wolf, and I protect my pack."

* * *

Jaune yawned as he stretched in his bed, the afternoon sun slowly moving in the sky. Jaune was never one for naps, but something about the Xiao-Long/Rose cabin and the peace of a Patch afternoon just called to him.

"Hey, Jaune?" Odd, Yang didn't typically bother him once he was in his room. At least not after the time she walked in on him. That was a fun day.

 _So many bruises. I understand where Yang's fighting comes from now._

"Yeah, what's up?"

Yang gently eased the door open and stepped in, shutting the door behind her. She had her typical orange tank top and black shorts on, and it looked like she had just showered.

"I just got done training, and I wanted to chat. Beacon's only a few weeks away. Are you ready?" Yang sounded excited and she had a smile on her face, but Jaune had gotten to know her better over these past two years. She was worried about initiation, sure, but more than anything she was concerned for Ruby. The young Reaper had gotten used to having the two blondes around, and Yang was scared to leave her baby sister alone.

 _Knowing Ruby and what I think is about to happen, you really shouldn't worry about it._

"Yeah, I'm ready. Can't wait to really start pushing myself, you know?"

"Ha! _Really_ start? Jaune I haven't seen you take a lazy day since you moved here. I don't see how you could push any harder."

It was those comments that hurt most. The cheerful, hopeful, and naïve comments that reminded Jaune he was the only one who knew of the previous world. Yang didn't remember the pain of the Fall, losing her arm, meeting Raven. It was so hard to keep his chin up, but Jaune knew that his…character?

Was that what he was now? A charade? Just a white-washed tomb? The happy kid from before Beacon died with his partner, but could he really be the broken knight that killed Salem? How would anyone here understand, how could they deal with his seemingly random psychological state? How would he-

"Jaune?"

Jaune snapped his eyes up to Yang's, amethyst circlets coated with worry.

"Sorry. Just… just got pulled into a thought. What were we saying?" _Agh, she's not gonna leave that alone. She's bonded with me at this point, I may as well be her brother._

"You know, we've known each other for awhile. You can talk to me if you need to, Jaune. You sure everything's okay?"

 _Alright, gotta lie, cause I don't really like the idea of sounding crazy. Man, I was never good at this. Remember, a grain of truth makes the lie all the harder to see. Uh, let's try this._

"I'm fine, I promise, Yang. I just started thinking about my sisters." Yang's eyes softened even more, thought Jaune's stomach twisted at the deception. "Once we get to Beacon, I'm not gonna have a lot of time to see them, and we won't have time before we leave."

"I know what you mean. I hope Ruby doesn't get too upset if I can't make it home often." Yang moved to sit next to Jaune on his bed, resting against his side. The two had learned somewhere along the way that they fit together rather nicely. Yang was soft and comfortable, and Jaune was always warm.

"Ah, she'll be fine. Even if she is a kid, she's the toughest kid I know. Same for my sisters. The people I'm worried about are us. Oum knows we can't survive on your cooking." Jaune expected the response he got, a stinging strike into his right shoulder and a glare from his companion.

The two stared each other down for a minute before Yang snickered. Jaune tried desperately to keep a straight face, but he couldn't hold it. The two descended into laughter, moving closer together and reveling in their shared warmth, both physical and mental.

"Hey, Jaune?"

"Hmm?"

"Think we'll be on the same team?"

There was a thought that had plagued Jaune since he first thought of it. Would RWBY and JNPR still form? Would Jaune even meet his brother and sisters? Would he have to make it through this life without them? Jaune didn't know if he wanted the answer to that question.

"I don't know. Though, I wouldn't mind a powerhouse being on the team. Even if she is a bit of a hot head."

"Well it would be nice to have a shield, even if his head is as hard as his shield."

Jaune couldn't think of a clever counter, so he used his tried and true fall back that always worked on his sisters. He quickly moved from Yang's side, causing her to fall over as he positioned himself into a push-up above her. Yang's eyes widened as Jaune let his arms go slack, his superior weight crushing her underneath him.

Yang's gentle peals of laughter echoed through his room, his own chortles joining soon after. When Yang squirmed to get out from under him, a devilish thought made its way into Jaune's mind.

 _Hmm, yeah. Worth it._

Jaune moved his hands to Yang's sides, his fingertips stopping at her ribcage. She froze in her movements, her breath catching.

"Jaune Arc… Don't. You. Dare." Yang's normally boisterous and loud voice had dropped to a low growl, though Jaune could hear the little bit of worry in her voice.

"Too late."

Bright and exuberant laughs reverberated through the house, cries for mercy mixed in. Deeper chuckles could be heard, Ruby and Taiyang shaking their heads at the blonde duo's actions.

Taiyang looked out the window of the kitchen to the hill at the north of his property, a soft smile on his face.

"Looks like she's got someone to watch her back. Good."

* * *

 **Okay guys, I think that's it. So, I tried to make this a little longer, and if you like it then this is how I'll do the chapters from now on. It might mean later updates, and if it does I'll be sure to say that on my profile page. Or I can go for shorter chapters and more consistent updates, your choice. Also, I have two plans for the next chapter, and I'd like to know your opinions. Either, I can write the club scene with Yang in my own way, then move into the airship/speech/ballroom/initiation chapter. I can also leave the club scene alone, give a little bit of my own flair for the character meetings, sleep over, and then go straight into initiation for most of the chapter. Alright, last thing, I promise: Guys, if you have something you'd like to say, a question to ask, or even just a quick "Cool." Then please say it. Getting an email from saying, "You got a PM" or "Blank reviewed your story" is easily one of the best parts of my day. You have no idea how amazing it is to hear your thoughts on my work, so please, if you've got something then go for it. Okay, I'm done. Have a good weekend everyone!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Arebus.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, new chapter! So, we're gonna try and get through meetings, entrance ceremony, and it'd be nice to get through Initiation.**

 _Wächter des Lichts_

There were many reasons Jaune was thankful that he had been given another chance.

He could save thousands by preventing the Fall. He could save both Ozpin and Oscar.

He could save Pyrrha.

But there was one advantage the he had not foreseen, and yet was incredibly happy for.

 _I'm on a Bullhead. And I am not hurling. I'm not even thinking about it._

A small grin blossomed on his face as he watched the beautiful scenery of Vale fly by, for once not clouded by his motion sickness. But, other matters drew his attention.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

 _Yang seems surprisingly happy that Ruby got into a firefight with someone who is instrumental in the Fall of Beacon. Even if she doesn't know that part, Roman is a notorious criminal._

Jaune gently pried Ruby from Yang's death grip, allowing the Rose to breathe as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you Ruby. You stood your own against a very dangerous criminal and probably saved that old man's business."

Ruby blushed a little and scuffed her boot on the ground, playing with the fringe of her skirt.

"But you're still an idiot."

He had expected the somewhat gob smacked expression from Ruby, but not the almost pissed off look from Yang.

"Let me ask you something Ruby. I'm a lot weaker than Roman Torchwick, right? I mean, there is almost no chance I actually beat him in a real fight." A nod from them both. "Okay. And if you and me fought, do you think you would win? Don't tell me what you think I want to hear, tell me what you believe."

Ruby looked away from him, mumbling her answer out.

"I… I think I might come close. I mean, I'm pretty good, and I'm fast, and I did win our last spar."

Jaune sighed as he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Ruby, I didn't say spar. I asked if you could beat me in a fight." He could see his point wasn't making it through with subtle words.

"Ruby, do you think you could take my life?"

Her horrified expression hurt more than Jaune was ready for. _She isn't the Ruby you travelled Remnant with, remember? She hasn't watched her friends die in front of her._

"Ruby, I really am proud of you. You did the right thing, and you protected the innocent. That's what a Huntress does. But these kind of people? They don't care. Your life means nothing to them, nobody's life does. They will kill you without so much as a second thought. Next time, and I pray there won't be a next time, call for backup. It's more important you make it out alive, that way you can try again, okay?"

Ruby nodded, though her mood did not lift. Jaune kicked himself internally for his slip up.

 _If you can't even hold a conversation with the ones you've lived with, how are going to deal with meeting the others. What'll happen when you see Weiss and Pyrrha?_

* * *

Thankfully, the rest of the flight went without incident, Jaune even managing to restore the lighthearted mood from before.

This part Jaune remembered, though he was impressed at the speed that Yang ditched them both.

 _Wait, isn't this when…_

"What do you think you're doing?"

Despite his mental preparations, Jaune wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to hear her voice. Not after watching her dive into that pit. Not after consoling Ruby with the loss of her partner.

 _Keep cool, Jaune. Don't think about the past. You have her back, is that not enough?_

"I'm sorry!"

As Jaune finally turned to face her, Weiss was already into a lecture and shaking dust in Ruby's face.

 _Funny, it's ice dust. Coulda sworn it was fire dust they used last time._

"Achoo!"

 _And now I'm frozen. Thanks Ruby._

"You dolt! Now look what you did!" Weiss was as peeved as ever, dressed exactly as Jaune remembered.

"Well, excuse me princess."

"It's heiress, actually."

 _Oh boy. Kinda thought she wouldn't come over._

Blake Belladonna strode forward, confident as ever, holding a vial of dust that had been thrown by the explosion. The three continued their tirade until both Weiss and Ruby remembered their frozen third party. Blake's reaction was understandably more severe.

"I'm sorry about this. I don't know how she managed to do it."

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

Jaune sighed as he placed a hand on both of the girls shoulders.

"Relax, the both of you. Weiss, Ruby didn't mean any harm. She got a little overwhelmed and lost her balance. Try to be more understanding. Ruby, Weiss is upset because you blew her up. That's pretty understandable, don't you think? And she's right, you need to do better about being aware of your surroundings."

Having diffused the situation the best he could, Weiss left after reintroducing herself to Ruby. Jaune turned to look where Blake was, fully expecting her absence.

He let out another heavy sigh as he slung an arm around the saddened Reaper.

"Come on, Rubes. Time for the entrance ceremony."

* * *

Seeing Ozpin back in his older form was odd. Both strange and disorienting, but also comforting in some weird way. It was always unnerving to see the young Oscar's eyes light up with ancient wisdom.

Jaune sighed again as he listened to the headmaster's speech.

 _Just like last time. And now, I can see all of us. Pyrrha's about a yard and a half to my left and had already looked at me a few times. Ren and Nora are off to the right, Ren somehow having snuck pancakes in here to keep Nora quiet. Yang and Ruby are right next to me, Weiss too. And Blake…_

Jaune's ears twitched and he closed his eyes slightly as he took a slower breath.

 _Directly behind me. Smart as ever, she's downwind of me and completely out of my line of sight. She's far enough that I won't sense her and it's loud enough that I can't hear her. And she's cloaking herself from my aura._

 _Too bad that creates a giant empty space in a room full of people with aura unlocked._

Jaune kept his posture relaxed, calmly listening to the speech he heard a lifetime ago. The amount of reminders of his old life threatened to drive him crazy.

 _I gotta find some time to myself._

As soon as the students had been dismissed, Jaune had wandered into Beacon's garden. Larger than his house, it was filled with plants from all over Remnant.

 _Blanc would be having a field day here._

Jaune sat himself on a bench in the middle of the garden, letting the sunset warm him and the scents of nature soothe him.

"Excuse me."

 _Oh for Monty's sake. Just an hour, is that too much?_

Jaune opened his eyes, meeting the emerald gaze of Glynda Goodwitch.

"Yes Ma'am?"

As far as Jaune could remember, this was gentlest he'd ever seen Glynda. Even when she was just walking around the halls, she had always looked so focused.

"All students are to report to the Ballroom for the night. I know Beacon is impressive, but we can't have anyone wandering around."

 _She seems way too calm about this._

"I understand Professor Goodwitch. I was just a little overwhelmed, and I needed some place to clear my head."

"Ah. I can certainly sympathize young man, but I'm afraid I still have to ask you to make your way to the Ballroom."

 _Ha! Young man. I never actually figured out how old Goodwitch was. Technically I'm seventeen, but if I include my past life I should be Twenty-Seven, give or take a couple years. We might actually be pretty close in age._

"Thank you for your understanding Miss. I'll head to the Ballroom, but could I have just a few more minutes? The sunset is just perfect."

Glynda looked like she wanted to tell him to leave, but she couldn't bring herself to deny his point. Sunset was her favorite time of day, and this one was particularly relaxing.

"You could always join me, if you like. After all, it would make sense for you to help a new student find his way to the Ballroom after getting lost in the garden."

Glynda cocked an eyebrow at the young man's apparent lack of concern, yet she was definitely tempted. After all, headmistress was a stressful job.

Jaune smiled a little as he felt Glynda settle onto the bench next to him, an appropriate distance between the two. He lent back and let nature surround him.

 _Maybe I can pull this off._

* * *

Jaune growled a little as he entered the Ballroom. He and Glynda had spent enough time in the garden that it was already night, and most people had claimed their spots.

In fact, there was only one open spot that Jaune could see. And, of course, it was right…

Next…

To…

Blake.

 _I mean, I had planned on dealing with that issue, but not this quickly. Oh well, it's not like I really have a choice._

Jaune walked as silently as he could, letting Ruby and Yang provide a distraction for him. By the time Blake looked up from her book to see what the sisters were doing, Jaune had made it next to her.

"Belladonna."

He couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at just how much he startled Blake. Familiar golden irises turned to meet his own eyes, emotions whirling through her.

"Jaune." Her voice was the smallest he'd ever heard her. If he were being honest, Jaune had wanted to be angry at her. To hold it against her that she had left him.

Jaune couldn't be angry though. Not when she was looking at him with tears in her eyes.

He fell to his knees next to her, wrapping her against himself.

"I missed you, Blake. So much."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Jaune."

Jaune pulled back just enough to look her in the eye.

"Hey, it's okay. You're back, right?" A nod. "Then it's okay. I'll always have your back Blake."

Blake didn't say anything, just pulling Jaune even tighter.

"Uh, Jaune? Everything okay?"

Taking care not to separate with Blake until she was ready, Jaune looked to see Yang cocking an eyebrow at him. Oddly enough, both Ruby and Weiss were nearby too.

"Yeah, we're okay. She's an old friend that I never thought I'd see again. Circumstances weren't the best when we separated."

Interestingly, it was Ruby who accepted the quickest. Jaune was confident she was remembering her mother and was grateful that she wouldn't inquire further. Yang gave him a look that he knew meant he would have to explain later. Weiss just looked confused, and probably a little curious about the two of them.

 _Keep forgetting she's probably a little off balance around me. Not like I used to be._

The rest of the night was spent close together, Yang and Ruby nearby with Weiss being reluctantly dragged in, Jaune and Blake being pressed close together.

* * *

When Jaune woke it was barely dawn. It was clear why he had woken up.

 _Their heartbeats… They sound wrong. One's too fast, one too erratic, another too strong, and one almost silent. Were they like this before? Was I that blind?_

Jaune looked to Blake, curled along his right side, with her hair covering her face. She was breathing quickly, her body warm, and her heart beating as if she had just gone through Initiation.

Despite having spent so much time with her, Jaune still hesitated. Was he being too forward? Would she appreciate that he just wanted to help?

Blake's whimper made Jaune's mind up for him.

 _Can't just do nothing._

Jaune put an arm around her, pulling her a little closer to him. He reached up to her head and loosened her bow just a little, enough for him scratch the base of her ears. Slowly but surely, her whimpers were replaced by soft purrs.

 _Well, that's one fixed. What about the others? It's only just dawn, they could still get another few hours of sleep._

Jaune focused his ears to find the quietest one. He was almost afraid when he looked at Weiss. It barely sounded like her heart was beating, and she was laying stock still. Jaune carefully untangled himself from Blake, silently thankful that she was still purring when he did.

As he approached Weiss, he realized he didn't really have a plan for this.

 _We… never really hung out. I was a schmuck, she was stuck up, then we were fighting a war. We kinda skipped that whole, 'Let's hang out' thing._

Jaune didn't know what else to do, so he just did what Violet always did for him. He gently cleared Weiss' hair from her face, running his hands down her scalp and following it to the middle of her back. He softly massaged her back until he felt her relax, her heartbeat returning to normal and her brow unfurrowing.

Jaune couldn't help but smile when he saw Weiss' lips quirk upwards.

 _I'd say that worked pretty well. And it sounds like Ruby's heart has already slowed down. Now, what about Yang?_

The brawler's heart sounded like it would burst from her chest at any second. Her breathing was steady but deep, her eyes flickering beneath their lids. This time, Jaune was completely lost. Yang always acted like the den mother for their group, even if she did tease them, and she always helped everyone keep a straight head in after Haven.

"Hey, Yang… Yang, wake up." Over the time he spent with her, Jaune learned that Yang woke up one of two ways. The first way was her springing from the bed and being as happy as the sunrise.

The second way was more heartbreaking. The few times Jaune had been around when Yang had nightmares, he had been almost as hurt as her. She wouldn't wail or jump out of her bed.

She just cried, quietly. She made herself as small as possible, cried, and tried not to wake up anyone with her misery.

Like she was now.

"Yang, come here." It had taken awhile for Yang to trust him enough, but Jaune had a little experience with calming her down in the morning.

Yang buried her head into his shoulder, silently sniffling. Jaune whispered quietly, stroking the back of her head. It took almost an hour before she was finally calmed down, and when she had she finally met Jaune's eyes.

"Hey… Good Morning Sunshine."

Yang sniffled one last time, reaching up and poking his forehead.

"Morning Pup. Thanks."

"You ready for Initiation?"

"I think so. Think Ruby will do okay?"

Jaune pulled her into another hug, gently bumping his head against hers.

"Of course she will. Come on, you've seen her skills. Besides, she's always got you."

"She's got you too. I know you'll always help her."

Jaune let her go and helped her stand up, the sunlight strong and bright by now.

"I'll always be there, Yang. For all of you." _For more than you realize._

* * *

 **Okay, sorry it took me longer to get this out. Let me know what y'all think. Oh! Real quick like; Would you guys rather me mess with genders or leave them be? Would you guys rather me mess with teams or leave them be? And lastly, would you guys rather me mess with villains or leave them be?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello all! I'm not sure when this'll come out, but I'm gonna try and be better about writing consistently. So, I figured that I'm just going to leave Initiation the same. For the most part, this world seems identical, the only major difference's being the early introductions and Jaune's heritage. So, I'll explain a few of the changes, but unless stated otherwise, Initiation went off without a hitch.**

 _The More Things Change…_

"You seem awfully chipper."

Jaune chuckled under his breath at his old friend's words. As much as Jaune could, he figured he'd stick to the patterns he established in his previous life. So, after everyone had gotten breakfast, he had bid a fond adieu to everyone and walked toward the locker room. Weiss had offered to go with him, despite her apparent wariness of him, and for that he was happy.

"Well, I finally get to show off my skills and earn my way into Beacon. Why wouldn't I be happy?" _This time, I make it because I am strong enough. No more helpless little Jaune._

"Hmm, I suppose that is true. I expect you'll have a bit of an advantage."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

Jaune had done well in keeping most of the differences in mind, but he kept forgetting that his presence unnerved Weiss.

"Oh! Um, well, you see I… Well, I was just… What I mean to say is that…"

"That I can see, hear, and smell better than you?"

Weiss blushed and nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. He couldn't help it, she looked so innocent and he was just happy to have her back. Jaune laughed.

"Weiss, I don't really mind comments like that. I know what I am, I know what advantages I can use, and I know what trials await me." He paused as he looked at her. "And I know what your family has done."

Weiss had stopped walking, posture stiffening as Jaune continued speaking.

"Weiss, there's no lost love between my kind and your company. But I also know what my kind have done. The White Fang were meant to be an olive branch, ones who bridged the gap. They have strayed, painfully far. Neither side is innocent in this Weiss, but there are innocents in the war." Jaune closed the distance and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"You, are one of them. The Sins of the Father are not yours to bear, and I will not judge you for them." Weiss gave him a small smile, one that he knew hid tears, and they continued on their way.

"Jaune Arc, meet Pyrrha Nikos. I'm sure you've heard of her." Jaune's mental process ground to a painful, soul crushing, heart wrenching stop.

 _Pyrrha… You're alive. I can see you. Oum, you have no idea how much I want to grab you and never let go. Please, whoever sent me here. Let me have her, at least let her be near me._

"Sorry, I don't think I have. It's very good to meet you Miss Nikos." Jaune bowed slightly as he shook her hand. _Ten. Ten Monty forsaken years since I've seen you. Please be the Pyrrha I knew._

"Oh, it is perfectly fine Mister Arc. I can't very well expect everyone to have heard of some fighter, especially one so young." _Good. She's still against being the center of attention, that's the same._

"Please, call me Jaune. So, you are a fighter? Tournaments, I assume?" _If I'm right, Weiss shou-_

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum, and won the Mistral Tournament four years in a row. A new world record." _Yep, there it is._

Pyrrha looked exactly the same as Jaune remembered, right down to the awkward little smile she gave after Weiss' introduction. _Well, time to test the theory. Will she react the same as last time?_

"Huh, well, that sounds pretty cool. I guess?"

"You… guess? Pretty cool?"

 _There's that smile. A bit more genuine, and a bit warmer._

"Weiss, we all made it here. So, we've all got strength, even if it is of a different type. Now, I'm sure Pyrrha here is incredibly strong, but that isn't what I'm curious about." Jaune turned to his former partner, a warm smile on his face. "What I'd like to know, is who Pyrrha is. Not Miss Nikos the Grand Champion. No, I'm far more interested in Pyrrha the Huntress. Why does she fight, what are her thoughts on certain situations, and most importantly-"

Jaune squared himself up to Pyrrha, once again extending his hand.

"Would she be so kind as to offer a poor wanderer her hand in friendship?"

Pyrrha giggled at his theatrical display, her eyes shimmering with interest at his strange countenance. She reached out and took his hand, frame still shaking with amusement.

"She would be delighted to, Mr. Wanderer."

Jaune couldn't remember the last time he smiled so much.

* * *

"Remember, do not hesitate to kill anything in your way."

 _So far, it seems the same. Blake's on my right, so that's different but to be expected. Ruby is on my left with Yang to her left. I see Pyrrha further down, oops, now she's waving._ Jaune smiled and returned the motion, reaching down to fluff Ruby's hair when she glanced up at him. _Let's see, Ren and Nora are right next to Weiss. Haven't actually met with them yet, so I'd be real keen on meeting up with them._

"Good!" _Wait, last time that happened, I got thrown into the air without being ready. Wait! If I'm actually ready, will Pyrrha still try and meet up with me?_

*Thunk*

 _Uh-oh. Wasn't paying attention. Am not ready._

"Oh craaaaaaaaaaaaa-"

* * *

Well, all things considered, Jaune could've done worse. While Pyrrha didn't pin him to a tree, they did become partners. Pyrrha was evidently worried when she heard him yell, but saw that he had a plan to land safely. They soon met up with Blake and Yang, Jaune silently rejoicing that the two had become partners. From there on in, everything was pretty much the same, with the notable exception of Jaune being much more useful in combat. Well, that, and the sharp increase in Grimm. Last time, the Deathstalker, Tajitu, and Nevermore were the only major enemies they faced. This time it wasn't just one Deathstalker but a nest, two Nevermores, and the Tajitu Ren killed apparently had a friend who followed him over to the temple.

Which led to them standing in the auditorium, all of them completely exhausted, battered, and in desperate need of baths. Ruby and Pyrrha had both fallen asleep while the other teams were assigned, Ruby having somehow convinced Jaune to carry her on his back. Pyrrha's head had merely rolled onto Jaune's shoulder at some point, and Jaune had wrapped an arm around her to keep her upright.

"Hey, wake up you two. Ruby, you guys are next." The two redheads slowly shook awake, Ruby having drooled on Jaune's tunic.

"Oh, hey, Jaune. Is it time for dinner yet?" Jaune smiled and gently set her down, ushering her to stand with her team.

Everything went the same as last time, except Ozpin didn't comment on Jaune being the team leader. This time, he stared at Jaune, gaped in surprise for a flash, then resorted back to a small, understanding smile.

 _That'll be trouble, for sure._

* * *

Jaune couldn't help how excited he was. He knew deep down that something bad was coming, maybe not the Fall exactly, but something like it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent here. But even so, he was back home.

 _Finally._

"Alright JNPR, welcome to our new home!" Just like last time, Nora ran forward and began jumping on her bed, choosing the one furthest from the door. Ren followed her in, setting his small pack on the bed next to Nora's. Pyrrha seemed a little hesitant, though Jaune was sure she probably was last time too. The old, or was it young, Jaune was probably too nervous to pay attention. This Jaune though, Pyrrha had his undivided attention. Jaune threw his bag onto the last bed once Pyrrha chose hers, then clapped loudly.

"Alrighty everyone, how about we get a little better acquainted?" Ren calmly sat on his bed as Nora bounced around him.

"How do you mean?"

Jaune smiled and sat himself next to Pyrrha on her bed, taking care not to be too close.

"Well, let's start simple, right? My name is Jaune Arc, I'm originally from Menagerie, I'm a close-range fighter with high aura capacity, and as of a few hours ago, Leader of Team JNPR."

Jaune held his breath as Ren and Nora looked at him, praying they would be the same too. After all, they hadn't had the chance to really talk yet.

"Okay! I'll go next! Hiya, I'm Nora Valkyrie! Me and Ren are from a little village near Mistral. I use a hammer and grenade launcher combo called Magnihild, and I'm really strong!" Jaune returned the energetic ginger's smile, nodding his thanks for her stepping up.

"I suppose I can go next. Hello, I'm Pyrrha Nikos. I'm from Mistral and I'm a tournament fighter. My weapon is called Milo and is a combination of a rifle, shortsword, and a spear. I also use a shield called Akuou. I'm glad to be a part of our team." Pyrrha began fidgeting with the sash around her waist toward the end. Jaune patted her on the shoulder and smiled as Ren stood.

"My name is Lie Ren, as Nora said, I am also from a small village near Mistral. I am a martial artist though I incorporate fully automatic pistols in my fighting. I am a mid to short range fighter, and I am also trained in medicine, so I can function as a medic in the field."

Jaune stood and stretched once Ren had finished, a smile still plastered to his face.

"Well, then that's that! I'm sure we'll figure out more about each other as time goes on, and I'm excited to see how we do. For right now, let's get cleaned up and grab some sleep. I'll make sure to wake you guys up early enough that we can unpack tomorrow, sound good?"

Nods all around so Jaune and Ren let the girls get into the bathroom first. Jaune couldn't help but feel like he was cheating a little. _Things were never this smooth. I mean, this isn't necessarily wrong is it? To survive you use any and all information you have, the wilds taught me that. But, does this count? This isn't survival or war, these are my friends. Ach, too much thinking right now. It's been a long day._

Once everyone was ready, Jaune lied down in his bed, hoping sleep would come easily tonight.

It didn't.

The wolf sighed as he stood, moving with unnatural silence toward the door. He had made it halfway to the stairs when he realized he was being followed. Jaune pretended not to notice, making his way to the roof. Once there, he waited for the door to admit his 'guest.'

"Hey pup, it's bed time you know." _Huh, coulda sworn…_

"Yeah, I know, Yang. Just couldn't get to sleep." His fellow blonde stood next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulder. They quietly looked out over Beacon. Yang was in silent marvel of this next step in her life as a Huntress. Jaune's thoughts were a bit more… chaotic.

 _How long can it last? Has Cinder already begun? Is Roman still working for her? What about Adam? He was still crazy last time I saw him, but that may just be Adam. No, he isn't smart enough to pull all of this off alone. We caught him the second Salem cut him loose. No, we didn't. We caught the old Adam. He may be different. What about the others? Mercury, Emerald, Neo, the Malachites. They may be the same, they may be worse. What if they're just civilians? What if they're allies? Can I dismiss almost a decade of rage and suffering at their hands?_

"Hey, whatcha thinking about?" _I need to stop doing this. They'll notice if I'm too distant every time I get a chance to think. Here and now Jaune, it's all that matters._

"Just… I don't know, everything, I guess? Seems like the past few years have just kinda been crazy." Yang's arm pulled him a little tighter, Jaune's own reflexively going around her waist.

"Yeah, I guess it has. But, it wasn't too bad, right?" Jaune knew the tone she was using, so he bumped her head with his own, giving a soft smile.

"I wouldn't trade it for anything Yang. You know that." Yang mimicked his smile, yawning a little. "Come on, Sunshine. Time for bed." Wolf-like ears twitched as they caught a rustle to his left. "Go on ahead Yang. I'll be right behind you, promise."

Yang gave him a look that made sure he would at least try to get some sleep. Once he was sure Yang was back downstairs and out of earshot, Jaune extended all of his sense, making extra sure no one was listening to the rooftop. _Not this time Cardin._

"You know, you used to be a lot better at sneaking up on me." Blake's form seemed to materialism from the shadows, her eyes actively seeking anything but Jaune's own. Jaune squared himself up to her, closing the distance between them.

"Jaune… I- I didn't- I wasn't-" Blake's stuttering was forcibly stopped as Jaune's fist flew toward her head.

* * *

 **I know, I know. I'm a prick for leaving it there. I actually do kinda feel bad, since I hate cliffhangers, but this lets me put out something for this story and still make progress on some other stuff. Let me know what you guys think. Also, I'm only partially back. I'll try and put stuff out every once in a while, but don't expect every week or anything. Schedule is just too fluid right now to promise anything, sorry y'all.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **Arebus.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm really sorry about how long it's been. Here's the next chapter, and hopefully I'll be updating either** _ **What Remains**_ **or** _ **A New Beginning**_ **pretty soon. And not pretty soon as in some time this millennia, I do mean sometime in the next week or so. I know I've said this before, and I hope you guys get what I mean: Please review if you read this story. If you guys have written anything then you know how awesome it is to see that little email saying, "Hey, So-and-So reviewed your story" or "Somebody sent you a PM." So please, anything y'all feel like telling, just go ahead and say it. I'll take all the help I can get here. In anycase, I hope you enjoy.**

 _Reconciliation._

Blake's stayed perfectly still as Jaune's attack stopped, a mere hairsbreadth from her cheek.

"There was a time, when you trusted me enough that you wouldn't have dodged. What happened to her? The one I spent all those nights with?" Jaune held his position as the clone in front of him dissipated.

Blake stood several paces back, her bow twitching madly and her body ready for a fight.

"You left Blake. I told you what would happen, I told you Adam was wrong. But you didn't listen to me." Jaune sighed as he turned back around, resting his arms on the railing.

"And now you show up here. When I finally get my head on straight and I finally get the shot to make a difference, you come along and throw my plans out the window."

Blake lowered her guard, memories of the times she spent with Jaune flashing unbidden through her mind.

"Jaune, I'm sorry. Something had to be done, but I didn't know what Adam was going to do. He changed, and I didn't see it in time."

Jaune turned to face her, closing the distance slowly so he wouldn't startle her again.

"I'll be honest, I don't really want your apology Blake. You wanna know why?"

Blake didn't want to hear the answer, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Because I love you."

Whatever response she had expected, it wasn't this. Jaune grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Blake, I knew you weren't going to listen to me. I saw what was coming from a long way off. I still think you're a fool for falling for Adam, but it doesn't matter. You came back, not to me or to your family, but you came back to the light. How could I ask more Blake?"

For the second time in as many days, Blake succumbed to the torrent of emotion within her, weeping silently into Jaune's chest.

 _Well, don't I feel like a jerk. I mean, I couldn't just up and say "I knew you'd be fine and it didn't bother me nearly as much as it probably should have, considering I had knowledge of a previous world." Still, I'm already getting tired of lying to them._

"Jaune, I-"

"Don't, Blake. I'm not angry with you, but I can't say I'm exactly happy either. So, we'll leave it like this: It'll take a while for us to get back to how we were, if we can, but in the meantime I'll hold true to my word."

Blake could see that the conversations had taken a toll on Jaune, though perhaps not for the reasons she thought. She nodded, resting her head on his chest for a bit longer before leaving to go back to her room.

Jaune sighed as he looked over Beacon.

 _How much time do I have? How carefree can I afford to be?_

 _How long can I keep this up?_

* * *

Dawn once filled Jaune with joy, promises of new beginnings and brighter futures.

During the war it held no such meaning. It merely meant another night was survived, it brought the possibility of more loss, more death. It meant one day closer to Salem killing them all.

Now, it was conflicting. A chance for a fresh start, to be sure, but with the looming threat of great failure.

All in all, it lead to a rather depressing mental state.

 _Well, we can't have that. I've got about two hours before everyone needs to be awake and getting ready for classes. Been a long time, but maybe it'll help all of us._

Jaune shrugged on his clothes as quick as he could, making his way to the docks.

* * *

For the most part, Vale was as he remembered it being. The only difference was him. He was stronger, less naïve, and more vigilant.

Well, he had four ears now, too.

All of these factors were what let him locate an old… acquaintance, shall we say?

Admittedly, Jaune had only heard of her in his past life, but that was enough to make him wary. Ironic, if you thought about it. A Twenty-something Huntsman-in-training, having been personally tutored by Ozpin and Qrow themselves, the man to kill the Queen of the Grimm…

Was scared of a woman who was five foot flat and currently pouting about the lack of Ice Cream.

 _This is a terrible idea._

"Excuse me, miss?"

Heterochromatic eyes turned to address him, an eyebrow silently cocked in curiosity.

"Is everything alright? You seem to be giving the frozen section quite the cold shoulder." _And thank you, Yang, for infecting me with your stupid puns._

The deceptively small combatant smirked a little, then pointed at one of the shelves, currently labeled "out of stock."

"Ah, okay. Neapolitan a favorite of yours? Wouldn't have figured that one."

The girl, conveniently dressed in cream, brown, and pink, decided Jaune deserved a quick jab to the ribs for his insolence.

"Okay, okay, no jokes about the color scheme, gotcha. Well, if I remember correctly, there's a little hole in the wall about a block and a half to the west of here. Some pretty fantastic ice cream there."

Neo quietly inhaled, obviously intrigued, but rested her hands on her hips and gave him a suspicious look. She pointed to him and then the exit.

"No, no, no, nothing like that, honest. Just trying to be a good neighbor. I've gotta get back, my roommates will be up soon. I'd recommend you check it out if you get a chance. Have a good day miss!"

As Jaune turned to leave, Neo stopped him with a small hand on his arm. She tapped a single finger on his chest, then shrugged as if she didn't know something.

"Uhh… Oh, my name? Jaune, Jaune Arc. And your name, if I may be so bold?"

She grinned and pointed to each color on her outfit, deliberately slowly.

"Ah, Miss Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry. Well, good to meet you Vanilla."

…

"Alright, I promise I'm done with the jokes. It was nice to meet you Neopolitan."

She held her hands apart from each other, then closed the distance between them.

"Shorter? Just, Neo?"

An emphatic nod.

"Okay, Neo it is. Well, hopefully I'll see you around Neo."

* * *

It was almost seven when Jaune returned to the dorms. As it was the first day, classes didn't begin until eight-thirty. He could afford to let everyone sleep in a little. They would have time to unpack after lunch, if this time was similar.

Jaune slowly prepared his workspace, setting out his tools and all his materials.

 _Now, let's see if I remember what I'm doing._

Jaune finished with time to spare, the clock only just showing seven-twenty.

 _Hope JNPR is still the same. If it is, then I want Ren first._

Jaune calmly approached the martial artist, laying a hand on his shoulder. As expected, the man's magenta eyes snapped open.

"Hey pal, it's morning. You got about an hour before classes start. I've already made breakfast, and I was thinking about inviting RWBY to join. Figured I'd leave your friend to you."

Ren nodded in appreciation, slowly stretching out before moving to the delicate art of waking Nora.

Jaune turned his gaze to his slumbering partner, once again reeling from the fact the she was actually alive. He quietly made his way over and kneeled before her bed. He softly shook her shoulder, whispering her name.

Sleepy emerald eyes opened, slightly confused for a second.

"Morning, partner. Sleep well?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Yeah? Good. You still kinda sleepy?"

"A little." She yawned.

"Sorry, but class starts in five minutes. No more sleep."

"Oh, okay."

 _Three… Two… One…_

"Wait, what?!"

"Relax Pyr, I was just messing. You've got about an hour before classes." Jaune couldn't help but chuckle when Pyrrha blushed, the Spartan having shoved him out of the way in her panic.

"Jauney! Don't scare our new friend like that!"

 _Ah, Nora's awake._

"I'm sorry Nora. I promise I won't scare Pyrrha again."

Ren gave Jaune a look that made it very clear the Mistralian did not believe him.

"Breakfast is already set up guys, I'm gonna go see if RWBY is up and moving. Knowing Yang and Ruby, the answer is no."

Jaune crossed the hall to their sister team's dorm, barely touching the door. He gently scraped his nails against the wood.

 _Ruby and Yang definitely won't hear, hopefully Weiss won't, but it'll drive Blake up the wall._

Sure enough, a rather displeased Blake appeared , eyes narrowed at Jaune.

"You know how irritating that is."

"Yes, but I got you up in time for classes, and I made you breakfast." She still seemed unconvinced that this was worth being woken up for. Jaune leaned in to whisper in her ear, Blake's eyes widening and her bow twitching like mad.

I'm afraid even I am not privy to what Jaune had said, but whatever it was convinced Blake to wake her team, post haste.

* * *

 _Ah, Peter. I forgot about you. How impressive your presence was, how grand your voice, how powerful your skill…._

 _AND HOW PAINFULLY BORING YOUR STORIES WERE. AND STILL ARE._

Jaune cradled his head as he listened to his professor. Most of the class had already fallen, RWBY and JNPR included. Only Jaune, Pyrrha, Weiss, and a select few others were still holding on.

 _I know there's information in here, and that he tells these ridiculous tales so that his students had to actually_ _think_ _during his class, but I already took this class. And I've actually lived stuff crazy than this. Well, might as well use this time productively._

Thus Jaune began to test a theory he had. When he had awoken here, Jaune was drastically different. His mind, his body, and perhaps even his soul. Should this be the case, Jaune had a rather large problem.

What was his semblance?

A Semblance is a reflection of one's soul. Just as Aura was the physical manifestation, Semblance was the more physical aspect of the core traits of a person.

For Ruby, her speed. Her desire to be strong, her desire to help others, wanting to grow faster than the others. Wanting to make it in time, so that no one else would have to suffer.

For Yang, her strength. Her rage, her sorrow, her pain, her love, all directed at her enemy.

For Blake, her desire to change fate, even if she must do so from the shadows.

For Ren, his desperate wish to shelter Nora from the world.

For Jaune, everything that made him who he was, was to help others. Even to the extent of giving another the very power of his soul.

But that Jaune was different. Younger, emotionally compromised, and still somewhat innocent.

 _So the question becomes: Who, or rather, what am I now?_

Jaune left his hand near Pyrrha's pen completely by happenstance, and it just so happens that Pyrrha reached for her pen (though to be fair, she hadn't been using it much, so it was rather lucky.) and brushed her hand across Jaune's.

At that moment, Jaune tried to recall the feeling of his Semblance, to let his aura flow to his partner.

Nothing. Not a drop.

 _That is going to make this a bit more difficult than I actually needed it to be._

* * *

The rest of the day passed without incident, though a situation did seem to be developing that caused Jaune some concern.

"You know, that Cardin guy really doesn't seem to like you Jaune."

"Yeah, Yang, I noticed. Honestly I kinda expected it."

The rest of the table looked over to him with sympathy, whilest Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"Why would you expect someone wouldn't like you? Seems like that would kinda work against you, right?"

Jaune smiled, once again reminded that this Ruby had yet to go through what he remembered. _She's still the lovable, innocent goof I met all that time ago._

"Well, Rubes, ya see-"

"You're totally right, Ruby. You sound just like my Mom. She always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'" Jaune looked to Yang as Ruby smiled, a small wink passing between the elder siblings.

"Well, I'd say-"

"Ow, that hurts!"

* * *

 **I know, I know, I know: I did it again. But hey, not nearly as much of a cliffhanger as last time, right? Either way, it's 2 am, I'm tired, sick, and honestly a little hungry. But I've also waited waaaaaaaay too long to update. So, here's a little something, and like I said, hopefully y'all will have one maybe two more updates coming your way. Thanks again for reading!**

 **Night,**

 **Arebus.**


	7. Chapter 7

**This one is… a little different. Bear with it, I'll explain more at the bottom. I cannot express how thankful I am to Ginger Sheikah for giving me advice. She has some truly amazing stuff guys, so please go check her page out.**

 _Perspective…_

 _This was meant to be a second chance. An opportunity to save people, to save my friends, to finally be of use._

 _To finally be a hero._

Jaune's gaze raked over the field in front of him, the scent of dry grass, the bleating of his sheep, the caress of the wind, all formed the ambiance for his vigil.

 _ **Four remnants. Each more drastic than the last, the first being almost identical.**_

 _Including my failures._

 _ **The second, in a different time. New weapons, new research, new resources.**_

 _New enemies, that I could not defeat._

 _ **The third, a strange parallel. Each the inverse of my home. Ruby, a murderer; Weiss, a thief; Yang, a mercenary; Blake, an innocent turned violent.**_

 _Jaune Arc, a failure still._

 _ **The fourth, a remnant no more. Back to when humanity had first come from dust, clinging to each other, fearing the Grimm.**_

 _The failure seeking the maidens, calling certain death to rain upon them._

Jaune sighed, gently guiding his flock back to their pin. Not that they were much of a flock, less than a dozen in total.

 _Perhaps this is my punishment. Failure as a hero, resigned to be a farmer and failing still._

Jaune pushed his way into his family's hut, his youngest sister greeting him as he entered. He smiled softly, picking the small girl up and placing her in her bed. Jaune looked over his family, most already asleep, nodding as his mother quietly motioned to their hound.

The young thing was one of the few valuable things left to the Arc's. Jaune's father had found her in the wilds, leading the small pup back home where Jaune nursed her to health. More wolf than dog, Artemis was one of three Jaune trusted outside his family.

As Jaune led his faithful companion out of the hut, his heart clenched in pain. Crocea Mors sat in a corner, gleaming in the firelight.

The toughened leather strap around the handle the only physical reminder of Ignatius Arc.

 _I'm so sorry._

" _ **Perhaps, another may rekindle this fire. Lights such as these are so rare, after all…"**_

* * *

"Mistress, may we enter?"

Pyrrha turned from her book, the old tome remaining one of her favorite pieces of contraband in her father's palace. Quickly returning the story book to its hidden alcove, the second princess of Exosia acknowledged the knocking.

"What is it you need?"

"Our humble apologies for disturbing you, but the fourth prince of the House of Nikos requests your presence, if it would please her ladyship?" The young servants kept their heads down, their knees only barely shaking.

 _So much fear, all from my father's doing._

"Yes, I will see him. You may return to your duties."

Pyrrha walked through the palace, the burning sunset painting the massive structure in fire. As she approached her 'brother' she was once again reminded of her distaste for him.

"Ah, how gracious of you to bless your younger brother with your radiant presence, dear sister mine."

"Mercury, your gilded words are ashen as always. Why, pray tell, did you deem it necessary to call me to this balcony when there is a perfectly good one attached to my room?"

Mercury's silver hair shimmered in the sunlight, his grey eyes boring into his sisters.

 _After all this time, he still tries to use his gift._

Pyrrha stared back, her gaze sharpening, seeing through Mercury and into his soul.

 _Ah, that is what he seeks._

"No. Your schemes are your own, I will not slaughter our family as the rest of you are so intent to do."

"But dear sister, think of the possi-"

Faster than Mercury could track, Pyrrha's dagger was pressed underneath his chin, her emerald eyes burning.

"I said, no."

Pyrrha turned and walked away, composed as she ever was, keeping character until she was convinced Mercury could not see her. She fled to her room, tearing open the balcony, breathing deeply until her head cleared.

"That… was a mistake. He will want recompense for that. Nothing for it now, I suppose."

Pyrrha turned her eyes to the village below, her gaze sharpening once more. She hunted through all the many villagers, each going about their lives as they always did.

But there was one who fascinated Pyrrha, one she could always find in the field to the south at sunset.

 _Right on time. What does drive you so?_

Pyrrha watched as the young man ran with his companion, the creature not seeming like a normal hound. Just as he did every night since Pyrrha had found him, the boy pushed himself. Running, jumping, climbing, lifting, balancing. His routine was more composed than that of her own guards. Finally, the boy moved to his final section of training. Simultaneously the part Pyrrha loved and hated, this was the action that convinced her to watch this youth for the past… oh however long it's been.

The fields to the south led to the Forest of Favos. None were permitted there lest they were of the Palace Guard.

For it was haunted, with the shadows of the dead.

* * *

 _You, at least, remain the same. Dark, corrupted, vicious. If nothing else, I've learned how to end you easily._

Jaune's expression remained mostly blank, an occasional grimace of strain the only deviation.

He wasted no movement, barely tilting to avoid the ivory claws bound for his throat. The beast roared its anger, though it turned to agony as Jaune ended it with the monster's own claws.

 _Beowolves. Still the weakest, alone at least. This pack is small, and without a true alpha. No real challenge for tonight._

The pack of thirteen lasted no longer against Jaune than they would've against the likes of Ozpin or Qrow.

 _Qrow…_

The name entered his thoughts as he wrenched the last Beowolf's head from its body. Jaune knelt among the carnage, feeling the adrenaline leave his body.

 _Too emotional, you failed to maintain discipline. Find another pack, do it again._

Jaune called Artemis to his side, the wolf gently prodding his arm where a fang had punctured him.

"It's fine. Come, find them again. You can help this time."

 _Better that she know these creatures, and know to kill them. Beacon always was clear, never waste resources._

* * *

 _You hunt even still? What do you hope to accomplish?_

Pyrrha couldn't help herself, she felt fear for the young man as he stumbled through the forest, blood dripping from his arm. A thought struck her as the boy found yet another group of demons.

 _Does he wish for death? And pray he finds it in a worthy opponent?_

But she could tell this was not the case. The man was too composed, too focused, too _intent_ on his battle to be suicidal.

 _He wants_ _them_ _dead. Perhaps he lost someone and seeks vengeance._

Pyrrha could not deny him that. Many in the village below had lost family to the monsters.

 _Still, surely, he has better things to do with his time than hunt these demons without pay. He typically hunts even after I fall asleep, when does he rest?_

Pyrrha's thoughts were interrupted by the heavens themselves. A roaring unlike any she'd ever heard drew her attention to the east. There a star flew through the sky, bearing down on the southeastern edge of the forest.

* * *

 _An impact? Siege weaponry? No, no one's stupid enough to take on Exosia, not right now. That sound though, it was familiar. Whining almost._

 _Like an engine…_

Jaune ran swiftly through the forest, his body flying with instinct. As he neared the crater he slowed, allowing the forest to hide him.

 _A rocket? Nothing I've seen so far would've showed this world capable of tech like this. Even if it did something else should've preceeded it; Firearms, cars, boats, anything._

Jaune approached cautiously, Artemis prowling behind him. A crest was emblazoned on the front of the object.

 _Wait… A locker? A Beacon Rocket Locker?_

Jaune forgot his caution, rushing forward to open the case.

 _My old code worked… There's no way._

Jaune cautiously opened the door, an expected surprise inside. A suit of plate mail, identical to his old armor. It was painted a matte black, the Arc emblem a subdued golden color, lighter grey highlights around it. A matching sheath for Crocea, yet no blade. There was something more important on Jaune's mind however. A flash of red at the back of the locker.

"Mílo…"

"My lord and lady, I believe the crater is near!"

Jaune cursed his lack of awareness. He quickly grabbed everything inside, slammed the door shut, and ran back to the forest. He darted behind a tree and stopped.

 _I can't just leave that back there. Time isn't something to be played with._

Jaune dropped the gear, running back to the locker even as he heard the horses near. He slid into the crater, quickly smashing in the codes he never thought he'd use.

He ran back to the tree where he'd left the gear, telling Artemis to hide, pushing himself as close to the tree trunk as possible.

 _For once, let me have some measure of luck._

* * *

 **Alrighty guys, here it is. So, I'm taking it in a bit of a different direction. I don't know why, but I couldn't bring myself to write more about the same part of RWBY that we always see. The point of this story was to take characters we all know and put them somewhere different, unique, and even absurd. So, I didn't want to just give up and start again. Instead, I'm going to try moving forward. I apologize for the drastic cut, but I hope it'll work for the better. Let me know what you think of the new chapter.**

 **Arebus.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everybody! So, I wanna say a few things real quick: First, I apologize about the previous chapter. I did not transition the story very well at all and that was dumb on me. To be clear, this is still Lux Noctis. It will never be anything else. If I make a new story, then I'll make it a new story. Jaune has gone through Four Worlds, including the one from the first few chapters. Second, I have just moved into my college dormitory, so I cannot promise updates hardly at all.**

 _Mistakes were Made_

Pyrrha reined in her mount, the crater in front of her still smoldering.

 _An obelisk? Perhaps it is a gift from the gods?_

"Ah, dear sister we've made quite the find this night. Our siblings will be most jealous." Mercury moved his own steed next to her, his eyes making it clear that he was still displeased with her actions.

 _It would be foolish to allow Mercury unfettered access to this, especially if it is truly a relic._

"We should remain cautious, we know not what this is or where it came from. Our actions may have unforeseen consequences."

"We know it fell from the heavens and that it is of unknown creation, certainly not our own. How could it be anything but a gift?" Mercury dismounted with a flourish, practically bouncing on his feet.

* * *

 _I don't much care for Mercury, but Pyrrha's right there. First one of my teams that I've seen this go around. Hellfire, that locker is about to go and they're way too close._

Jaune looked to the armor at his feet, noticing a piece he had missed in his haste. A helm, made from the same material as the rest, with collapsible faceplate.

 _Good a disguise as any I suppose. It's not like any of them can remember my voice anyway._

Jaune geared up as quietly as he could. The undersuit was form fitting, but lightweight and easy to move in. Thankfully, the plates didn't seem to be metal and were quietly attached to their respectful places. Jaune gingerly placed Mílo on his back, the armor seeming to shift so as to better hold the weapon.

Jaune stood, expanding the dark shield on his left arm, praying this Pyrrha would not make him draw her own weapon. He lowered the face plate and moved from cover.

* * *

Pyrrha was first to notice the shadow move.

 _One of the damned. We should've been more cautious._

"Mercury, behind me."

Her 'little brother' turned, no doubt with a smart remark prepared, but quickly followed her order.

"Pyrrha, what is that?"

"One of the shadows, though not one I recognize." Pyrrha tensed as the figure strode forward, its body seeming to absorb light.

"Peace, my Lady. I mean no harm." The creature's voice was rough, as though tired and worn.

"What manner of beast are you? One of the lost souls that roam this forest?" Pyrrha subtly moved her hand towards her spear but froze when she saw the form move its shield into a better position.

 _It is obviously intelligent. It noticed my movements, and now I have no clear shot past its shield._

"I am no beast, my Lady. I merely intend to warn you of the dangers near that object."

"Lies! You mean to steal what is rightfully ours." The lack of action had clearly emboldened Mercury, though Pyrrha could see through the figure's stance. It was ready to fight, and Pyrrha wasn't entirely sure she would win.

"I mean to do nothing of the sort. If it will appease you, I will leave this place under your watch. Whatever you choose, do it with haste."

* * *

 _Oum I hate having to talk like this. Come on Pyrrha, just get out of here. Leave Mercury for all I care._

Jaune held his position, shield covering all the important bits but leaving him free to move. The faceplate covered his entire face, his eyes looking through blackened glass, yet he could see perfectly well.

 _Gotta be some kinda one-way mirror. If it's from the same time as me, it might even have some decent tech inside._

"You have knowledge of these things? Then, pray tell, what are they?" Pyrrha was staring him down, but she didn't look too keen on fighting.

 _Oh, I better think of something better than 'pretty rocks.'_

"They are vessels, my Lady. They carry resources, though I do not know what. Every time I have approached one, it has been engulfed in fire. This is why I plead with you, please move away from it."

Jaune cautiously gestured to the open field where Pyrrha had come from.

 _Come on, it's not even that big of an explosion. Just move a few more yards and we'll be good._

"If what you say is true, then how far must we be to be safe?" Pyrrha's grip loosened, her stance relaxing ever so slightly.

 _Yes! Okay, please just follow my lead._

"Not far. I will show you, if it would please you."

* * *

"Do you think us fools? Perhaps your fellow thieves wait for us, just over yonder. Or better yet, they wait for us to leave so they may take the relic for themselves." Mercury was clearly testing the stranger's patience, and Pyrrha did not want to find out the limit.

"Enough. We move away, together." Pyrrha released her breath as she watched the man's posture relax. Mercury was less pleased.

"Surely you don't mean to bow to this miscreant!"

"I intend to survive this encounter. If you would cease your blithering, you might notice his stance. He is sure of foot and placed himself in a way that negates any opening attack we could launch. Whether he speaks the truth or not, we are at a disadvantage and he knows it." That seemed sufficient enough to silence Mercury, for now at least.

Pyrrha motioned for the man to walk beside her after she dismounted. She had no wish to alarm him, so she moved as openly as possible. Surprisingly, the stranger did the same, making sure that he returned every opening she showed.

 _What are you?_

* * *

 _Oh, thank Monty. We've got forty seconds to get to minimum safe distance. Mercury, hurry up or I leave you._

Jaune moved cautiously, but with purpose. He quickly guided the group to a safe distance and stopped, only now realizing how large a contingent of guards had accompanied his teammate.

 _Not your teammate, a princess born to a powerful tyrant. Try not to die, yeah?_

"Tell me, who are you?" Pyrrha was standing next to him, though still within range of her spear.

"No one of consequence. Merely a wanderer who became concerned for the safety of a few he passed on the road." _Where did this crap come from? I read too many of Blake's books last time._

"You must have some name I can call you?"

"Wanderer."

Jaune could see Pyrrha pout in the corner of his vision, but his response was cut off by the Rocket Locker's fuel source igniting.

Pyrrha covered her head and looked in awe of the display. The rest reacted more severely, each running for cover behind whatever they could find.

"You truly saved us. We would have no doubt perished in that, were it not for you." Pyrrha looked stunned, as if she expected him to leave her to die.

 _It's not like she had any reason to assume I'm on her side. Not to mention, she's nobility. Those ties are always complicated, and very rarely trusting._

"I did not do it for praise nor reward."

"Then why save us, of all people?"

"I dislike needless loss of life." With that, Jaune turned away, walking towards where he knew Artemis had followed them.

"Don't you dare turn your back on us!" _Ah, Mercury must have finally found a pair. Probably near that rock he was cowering behind._ Sure enough, the man was standing and shaking his finger in Jaune's direction.

Jaune turned to face the prince, Mercury's hectic dive for cover having disheveled his precious hair.

"You have knowledge of these relics and I therefore command you to serve as my counselor on this matter. You will remain at the castle till I have no further use of you." Mercury looked like he was proud of his offer, like he'd just tried to give Jaune the world on a platter.

 _Schmuck._

Jaune could see Pyrrha getting ready to intervene, but he had frankly gotten fed up with Mercury. Jaune smoothly drew Mílo from his back, shifting it to its carbine form as he did. Countless hours around this weapon had made him as proficient with it as Crocea. Mercury looked honestly befuddled as Jaune leveled the barrel at the silver-haired brat's chest.

"You command nothing, child." Jaune let all the venom from his lives pour into his voice. He was getting tired of playing the white knight. "I leave you with your life. Consider it a gift, for your sister's level-head. Something you sorely lack."

Jaune waited for Mercury to motion his guards into action, which he of course did, before firing a single round next to his foot. Unfortunately, it had been some time since Jaune had practiced his marksmanship.

 _Well, at least it was just his foot. Now he's more like the Mercury I remember._

Jaune quickly made his way back into the forest. Once he was sure he was clear, he removed the helmet and let his sweat drenched face breathe. Artemis was quick to nuzzle into his neck, worried for her partner.

"I'm okay. All good, promise. Just accidentally shot the prince of the nation I live in right in the foot with a weapon that shouldn't exist. No big deal."

Jaune caught his breath awhile longer before making his way home.

 _Oh, this'll be easy to explain._

* * *

Pyrrha quietly sighed as she entered her chambers. Mercury had wailed and screamed for almost the entire journey back to the palace, fearing the "cursed fiends black magic" would end his life.

Omitting the theatrics, Pyrrha was intrigued by the weapon the man had used. It was a terribly loud contraption and it completely destroyed the armored boots Mercury had been wearing.

Pyrrha was suddenly reminded of what she had been doing before the star had fallen.

 _The young man was in the forest too. Did he flee from it, or was he curious as well?_

Pyrrha opened her balcony and focused her eyes, once again scanning over the town to look for the young hunter. She found him exiting the woods and making his way to what she assumed was his home. She had made a point to not follow him home, feeling as if she were intruding on him. Well, more than she already was.

He seemed exhausted and was even more injured than she last saw. But his face was shining.

 _Something seems to have inspired him. Now_ _ **that**_ _is interesting._

* * *

 _Well, at least I don't have to explain the new armor and Mílo, though I do have a few more scratches than usual._

Jaune carefully entered his family's hut, the rest of the Arc's asleep by now. He watched as Artemis laid down near his mother, the wolf fast asleep almost instantly.

 _Tomorrow… Tomorrow goes the same as any other day. I may have new gear, but I need to see how much that just shook up this world._

The next morning was the same as any other market day. The vendors were out, people were shopping, and Jaune was lugging a large bundle of wool to his old friend.

"Mr. Bart! How does my green-haired friend fair today?" Jaune had to admit, he never would have thought he'd get along with Oobleck this well.

 _Though, after the past few worlds, you'd think I'd be used to weird stuff by now._

"Ah! Young Jaune! I dare say the day has treated me quite well thus far, what of yourself?"

"Suppose I can't complain. Though it'd be awfully nice if someone had use for all this wool I've been dragging around. Pity, guess I'll just have to give it to Angela." Jaune knew it was cheap to mess with the Seamster like this, but he couldn't help it.

"Come now, lad! Don't give the old boy such a hard time, you know how delicate he can be!"

 _There's a voice I'll never forget._

"Ser Port. It seems you're in as jolly a mood as ever." Jaune couldn't stop the smile from spreading as he watched his old teacher rumble with laughter.

 _Hellfire. Guess I can't just give up, can I?_

* * *

 **Amid the Western Forests**

"Sire, we approach our destination. Shall I make our presence known?"

 _Mori no Ha_ , Blade of the Forest, Heir of the Lie Family gently shook his head.

"I would prefer to remain discreet, for now."

 _The gods must have sent us hear for a reason, and I will find out why._

* * *

 **In the Northern Plains**

"Frû Valkyrie! Exosia is near and our scouts have found evidence of the Fljótur sjálfur! Who should we charge first?"

As much as the Valkyrie appreciated the energy her guard captain showed, they had not been sent to fight.

"Knowing him, he'll probably go scouting. Gather some discreet clothing, if you can. I will greet our unexpected guest personally."

 **Alright, think that's it for now. I promise that I'll make it clear if I end the story, but until then, just assume that I'm bogged down and not quite dead yet. Night y'all!**

 **Arebus.**


End file.
